Education is the antidote to ignorance

A recent poll conducted in August and September 2025, targeting nearly 230 older teenagers, has shed light on their perspectives regarding the Age of Civil Responsibility (ACR) Bill and sex education. The survey, which focused on critical aspects of reproductive health education, revealed a clear preference for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) over abstinence-only instruction. A striking 68% of respondents opposed limiting sex education to abstinence-only content, with only 18% in favor. Conversely, an overwhelming 93% supported the inclusion of age-appropriate CSE in schools, with 58% expressing strong agreement. This data underscores the growing demand among youth for informed and inclusive reproductive health education. Critics of the ACR Bill argue that legislation alone cannot address the issue. However, advocates emphasize the need for legal frameworks to create societal space for meaningful action. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, in his recent address to the UN General Assembly, highlighted education as the antidote to ignorance, particularly in the context of reproductive health. The Caribbean region has long struggled to meet international CSE standards, with no country coming close to compliance. The poll results reflect the high expectations of older adolescents for quality CSE, urging leaders in education and health to take bold steps toward reform. Tonia Frame, President of the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association (GPPA), and Fred Nunes, Consultant at Advocates for Safe Parenthood: Improving Reproductive Equity (ASPIRE), have called for courage and action from policymakers to replace sexual ignorance with education.